WAR VETS EXPOSE ZANU PF`S RIGGING!!

Disgruntled war veterans who say they have been unfairly blocked from representing Zanu (PF) in the next elections have threatened to expose the party’s rigging machinery. The development comes amid reports that the army, police and prison services are forcing officers to complete their ballots under supervision by their superiors 15 days before the polling day set for July 31. Former fighters who lost during the recent Zanu (PF) primaries are alleging fraud, saying they have evidence of ballot stuffing and doctoring of figures engineered by a top Zanu (PF) official leading a faction in favour of his lieutenants countrywide. Zanu (PF) is divided into two main rival camps, one led by the party Legal Affairs Secretary Emmerson Mnangagwa and the other by Vice President Joice Mujuru.

Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association Secretary General, Shadreck Makombe, called the leadership of the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists in Gweru on Friday requesting a press conference to drop the bombshell. He cancelled the meeting one hour before, saying he had “been engaged” by top party officials over the weekend and wanted to wait for the outcome of that process. On Monday evening he was involved in a serious accident that left him with fractured legs when his car collided with another in the city as he headed to address the delayed press conference. Insiders suspect the accident was an assassination attempt by Makombe’s political foes within the party. In an earlier interview, Makombe told The Zimbabwean that the war veterans’ leadership had video clips of the rigging that happened during primary elections, adding the ZNLWVA members were ready to testify about this.

Makombe himself fell victim to the rigging, which saw his victory being overturned in favour of the party’s Midlands Secretary General, Francis Chikwira. He wanted to be the party’s candidate for the post of Provincial Chairman of a devolved governance structure that has been introduced by the new constitution. The Zanu (PF) primaries were riddled with allegations of widespread fraud, resulting in numerous aspiring candidates who were elbowed out choosing to stand as independents. Meanwhile, information has emerged that the army, police and prison services have hatched a plan to manipulate officers’ ballots by forcing them to cast their votes in front of their bosses under the special vote arrangement provided by the Electoral Act. They would be “firmly advised” on how to vote. “Rank and file officers will be forced to vote in front of their respective commanding officers. They will cast their ballots 15 days before polling day under the pretext that they will be deployed outside their wards and constituencies during the general election,” said a reliable source.

The police, army and prison services have an estimated combined strength of 95,000, not including recruits - who this paper recently reported were being bussed to register as voters. Said another source privy to the plans: “After casting their votes under the special arrangement for security forces, diplomats and civil servants stationed outside the country, there are plans for them to vote again. When they vote before their bosses, they will not dip their fingers in indelible ink as required.” He added that relatives and family members of force members would also be commandeered to vote under supervision. The source said Zanu (PF) planned to use traditional leaders to instill fear into rural voters. “Villagers will be assembled and lined up in sequence, with the headmen the first to vote. The people will be duped into believing that, because of the sequence, the headmen will know if they did not vote for Zanu (PF). The line-up will commence as early as 0400 hours.” said the source. The party has ensured that there would be no violence, even though “sporadic and spontaneous incidents may occur”, while the police will be instructed to arrest all perpetrators even though Zanu (PF) supporters will not be prosecuted.

While no comments could be obtained from the army and the Zimbabwe Prison Services, police spokesperson, Charity Charamba distanced her organisation from the alleged plot. “Redirect (your questions) to the lawmakers because a special vote is provided for under Section 81 (b) of the Electoral Act Chapter 2:13 and please note that the Zimbabwe Republic Police did not craft the piece of Legislation,” said Charamba by email. Efforts to contact the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission were fruitless, while Zanu (PF) national spokesperson, Rugare Gumbo, indicated that he was constantly busy with party business. The MDC-T has raised concerns that the Registrar General is tampering with the voters’ roll amid revelations that the office was processing 50, 000 applications under the ‘Special Vote’. Party spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka on Monday told journalists that his party had established the number was purported to represent security personnel, yet there were only 38,000 officers eligible to cast their ballot under this privilege. He also said his party had established that the RG’s office was working with an expert Israeli organisation called Nikuv International Projects to tamper with the voters’ roll. “This organisation is well known internationally for manipulating the voters’ roll and it has been convicted of similar offences (elsewhere) in Africa,” he said.